Push for equal pay in govt

Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) says it will continue pushing government to remove disparities in public sector remuneration which are deepening inequality among public servants. Meanwhile, financial policy and corporate law experts say the disparities are also spiking the wage bill and weakening productivity in the public service. In an interview Thursday, CSTU president, Lameck Magawa, said his organisation is strategizing to take the National Remuneration Commission (NRC) Bill, developed by the Attorney General in 2017 back to Parliament.

The Bill which was rejected by Parliament, sought to provide the legal framework for the establishment of a commission whose mandate would be to harmonise public sector remuneration. According to the 2017 draft Bill, the commission was supposed to come up with clear provisions for the procedures to be followed when determining remuneration in all public bodies. The development followed the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) petition to Parliament in 2013, to push the lawmakers to debate and pass a Bill to harmonsie public sector remuneration.

Magawa said that since the House’s rejection nothing has moved to take back the Bill to Parliament, arguing that the absence of the commission is making the issue of salary increments in the service to be done in a haphazard manner and with no clear procedures. “For example, the Judiciary, Parliament and other constitutional bodies who are funded by Treasury providers and not commercial entities so why should they be treated differently? Statistics show the disparities have persisted since 1993 due to government’s failure to implement its own recommendations made following studies conducted on the issue.

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Government, with funding from the World Bank, instituted the first study in 1993 titled Malawi Civil Service Pay and Employment whose major recommendation was the harmonisation of remuneration in the service. Another study, titled Medium Term Pay Policy, was conducted in 2003 and its key proposal was the establishment of an independent institution responsible for remuneration. However, nine years later, government remains indecisive on turning round the trend of the alarming remuneration disparities for officers on same grade and qualifications with differences, in some instances, exceeding K2 million.

Magawa said the union would soon start strategising to ensure the matter is resolved by pushing for the re-tabling of the Bill. “That is why as CSTU we want to revive the issue and push for the Bill until it is taken to Parliament and we have the commission in place. “We believe this is the only channel that will not only spearhead but also speed up the salary harmonisation process. The conditions of service and salaries of the public sector across the board must be uniform,” he said.

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